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State Mercury School Programs
Safe Mercury Management Information
SMM HomeMercury in schools is found primarily in mercury-containing devices (such as thermostats and fever thermometers) and scientific laboratories (both apparatuses and chemical reagents). Most of the efforts to remove mercury from schools have been enacted through legislation, but some states have voluntary programs to facilitate removal and clean-up of mercury-containing materials in schools. In general, these school programs are aimed at increasing/promoting mercury recycling, improving mercury management in schools, and educating teachers and students about mercury. Federal agencies and state universities have developed additional resources for schools to help them understand and address issues related to mercury.
The links below will take you out of the EPA.gov domain and to
external links.
| State Name | Laws and Regulations | Laboratory Clean-Outs | Collection and Replacement of Mercury-containing Devices | Outreach/Education (e.g., workshops, Web sites, and on-line training tools) |
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School Lab Cleanout Program in Connecticut - 2002-2003 (PDF) (8 pp, 722K)
Public Act 093-0964: Mercury Reduction Act. This act addresses mercury use in schools
Mercury Thermostat Reduction and Recycling Pledge Program
IC 13-20-17.5: This regulation prohibits mercury and mercury-containing products in schools.
Kansas Clean Sweep Mercury Collection Program
Schools - Mercury and Chemical Clean-out Project
Getting Mercury Out of Schools and Communities Project
Public Act 376: This act removes and prohibits the purchase of mercury-containing products (PDF) (1 pg, 4K)
School Science Laboratory and Mercury Clean-Out Program (PDF) (87 pp, 1.0MB)
School Mercury Reduction Program
AB 721 (LS: 05): This act relates to the purchase, storage, or use of mercury by schools
Additional Resources for Schools
The Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign and Prevention Program (SC3) is a collaboration between EPA, other federal agencies, states and non-governmental organizations. The Program builds upon the lessons learned and accomplishments of existing state and local efforts to decrease the number of injuries and school days lost due to poor chemical management and chemical spills. The goals of SC3 are to raise national awareness of the potential dangers of chemical accumulation in K-12 schools and to facilitate chemical cleanout and prevention of future chemical management problems.
Please Note: The SC3 program is not focused specifically on mercury. Mercury is only one of the chemicals covered by SC3.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), part of the U.S. Public Health Service, and EPA jointly issued a national alert
about continuing patterns of metallic mercury exposure, particularly in schools.
In 1999, with funding from EPA's Great Lakes National Program
Office, the University of Wisconsin Extension's Solid and Hazardous
Waste Education Center (SHWEC) developed the
Mercury in Schools
project. In 2001, funding was provided to extend the Mercury in Schools education and outreach program to
the rest of the country.
Mercury:
In Your Community and the Environment (PDF) (49 pp, 818K)
contains background materials on mercury for teachers and activities
for students.
EPA Region 7's Mercury: An Educator's Toolkit. Includes videos, background information for educators, and student activities (by grade level).